﻿THE CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE MAYOR NEW YORK, N. Y.

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November 26, 2010

Honorable David M. Steiner Commissioner of Education

New York State Education Department Room 111

89 Washington A venue Albany, NY 12234

Dear Commissioner Steiner:

I am writing to supplement my November 17, 2010 request for a School District Leader certificate for Cathleen Black. As you know, a top priority of our administration has been and continues to be ensuring that every child in New York City receives a high quality education and that every child is prepared to succeed in the 21 st century by attending college or securing a job following graduation. Under the leadership of Joel Klein, we have made tremendous strides in transforming a system in desperate need of repair into one that truly puts children first. Now that Chancellor Klein's tenure is nearing its end, it is critical that we appoint a dynamic new leader as Chancellor, one who possesses the talent and skills required to build on our accomplishments and continue to improve our school system. I believe that Cathleen Black is the best person to meet this challenge and to provide the leadership our school system needs to carry out our reforms.

Ms. Black has informed me that upon her appointment as Chancellor, she will appoint Shael Polakow-Suransky as Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer of the New York City Department of Education. (The job description is attached to this letter.) I request that you consider my request for a certificate for Ms. Black in light of her decision to create this position and to make this appointment.

Mr. Polakow-Suransky, who is currently Deputy Chancellor for Performance and Accountability, has spent his career working to improve New York City schools on behalf of our highest need students. From his first job as a math and history teacher, at Crossroads Middle School, where he helped to design an inclusion model that integrated students with disabilities with their general education peers, to the successful school he opened in 2001 - Bronx International High School, which was centered around the specific needs of recent immigrants who were learning English for the first time - he has proven again and again that its possible to accelerate learning for every student.. Bronx International has been identified as a "beat the odds" school, because its graduation rate substantially exceeds projected rates for the population

it serves, and it has scored in the 93rd percentile among all New York City high schools in academic progress.

Ms. Black's decision to appoint Mr. Polakow-Suransky (whose background is detailed later in this letter) as her senior deputy reflects her commitment to a leadership principle that I view as absolutely essential to running any large organization, whether a private business, a public agency, or an entire city government: empowering those around you. This is the approach that I have brought to City Hall, empowering agency heads and - in tum - expecting them to empower their staffs. Empowerment, coupled with strong lines of accountability, has been crucial to every success our Administration has achieved, including the Department of Education's remarkable turnaround of a once broken school system. Whether it is DOE's work to give principals greater autonomy, create more charter schools, or give parents more information through school progress reports, our commitment to empowerment and accountability has been a critical factor in the progress our students have made.

Cathie Black shares that same belief in the importance of empowerment and accountability. She understands that the role of a leader is not to micro-manage every division, but to hire the best people, give them the room they need to innovate, and hold them accountable for success. She is fully committed to ensuring that DOE's senior staff includes experienced and professional educators, which is why her very first step as Chancellor will be to hire Mr. Polakow-Suransky as Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer. Mr. PolakowSuransky will report directly to Ms. Black and be responsible for the administration and supervision of the school system's instructional programs, development and implementation of major educational policies and practices, and compliance with all legislative and judicial mandates. In addition, he will serve as the chief advisor to the Chancellor on various policy issues, including those relating to curriculum, education reform, academic testing and evaluation, staff development, parent involvement, and the arts.

Running a $23 billion enterprise, with 135,000 employees, requires a leader who can put in place a strong and dynamic team, while also having the experience and skills to solve complex problems in the face of controversy, motivate staff, communicate with and bring together diverse constituents, manage labor relations, use data in decision making, and create and sustain a culture of change and excellence. As detailed in my November 17 letter and as reiterated below, Ms. Black's broad range of experience and success in business, as well as her demonstrated intelligence, integrity, versatility, leadership and management skills, and unwavering commitment to achieving excellence, amply qualify her to be Chancellor of the New York City schools.

Serving as Chancellor of the New York City schools requires the skills to address complex problems and new challenges with energy, creativity, and innovative solutions-and to build support among constituents for those solutions. Throughout her career, Ms. Black has worked to build strong relationships with colleagues and subordinates, to motivate them to succeed and hold them accountable, and to provide support and expertise where necessary. In addition, as a leader in the field of publishing, Ms. Black has deep experience seeking out the opinions of customers, and incorporating their thoughts and ideas into the organization'S work. She is fully committed to conducting extensive outreach to students, parents, teachers, principals, administrators, and community groups, making them vital partners in our reform efforts.

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The challenging issues facing the New York City schools demand a bold thinker who is not afraid to champion new ideas. Ms. Black is widely recognized as a visionary. At Hearst, Ms. Black was responsible for putting the company at the forefront of digital expansion by starting a digital media unit dedicated to creating and implementing online and mobile strategies. The digital unit has launched or acquired 24 websites and 10 mobile platforms. Under her leadership, the company also developed digital editions, as well as iPhone and iPad applications for many of its brands. Ms. Black will bring the same forward-thinking vision to our school system to ensure that our students are technologically advanced and able to succeed in the 21 st century. She has the knowledge and experience to make data-driven decisions and to expand important DOE technology initiatives designed to enhance accountability and track and improve student performance, such as the Special Education Student Information System (on-line management system for special education data and documents), Achievement Reporting and Innovation System (student performance and accountability data system), and iLearnNYC (on-line learning management system).

The City'S next schools chancellor will inherit an organization that has an impressive track record of success, yet is still far from satisfied with the status quo. As President and then Chairman of the iconic Hearst Magazines during a time of great change in the media world, Ms. Black spearheaded innovative strategies that produced record-breaking years for Hearst.

Leading a team in producing 14 U.S. titles and nearly 200 international editions in more than 100 countries, she was responsible for the management of corporate, personnel and financial matters for Hearst magazines. Under her leadership, Hearst's portfolio expanded to include the launch of 0, The Oprah Magazine, widely regarded as the most successful magazine launch in U.S. history, and most recently, the launch of Food Network Magazine, which has already soared to a circulation of 1.4 million. Other magazines under her purview include Popular Mechanics, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Harper's Bazaar, Country Living, House Beautiful, Seventeen, Marie Claire, Town & Country, Cosmopolitan, Veranda, and Esquire. Ms. Black will bring the same tireless effort and commitment to innovation that are necessary to take our schools to the next level.

Ms. Black has always been a trailblazer. She began her career in advertising sales, first at Holiday Magazine and then at Ms. Magazine in 1972. At Ms. Magazine she successfully overcame the hurdles of marketing a magazine about the impact and importance of changing expectations and lives of women. In 1979, Ms. Black broke new ground, becoming the first female publisher of a weekly consumer magazine, New York. In October 1983, as President and Publisher of USA Today, and Executive Vice President of Gannett, the parent company, Ms. Black was a major force in the success of USA Today, a newspaper that was innovative in its use of digital satellite technology and four-color reproduction. USA Today quickly became the No. 1 newspaper in the country. In the face of wide-spread industry skepticism, particularly from the advertising community, Ms. Black helped tum a bold idea into an enduring success in American publishing.

With difficult budget times confronting the Department of Education, we will need a leader with the skills and experience to make tough decisions and to deploy limited resources in ways that ensure the maximum possible benefit for our children. At Hearst, Ms. Black oversaw reductions in force, reorganizations, and closure of unprofitable magazines in order to preserve the financial stability of the company while at the same time driving the company to new heights. Her accomplishments are a testament to Ms. Black's ability to expertly manage and

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allocate resources during both flush and difficult financial times. Given the city's current fiscal situation, Ms. Black is exceptionally qualified to make the difficult financial decisions that will be required to ensure that all of our students receive a high quality education even as the DOE is facing significant budget cuts.

A schools Chancellor also must confront legal and contractual challenges. As the CEO of a major organization, Ms. Black has extensive experience in complex legal matters requiring knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations. At Hearst, she has dealt with a range of intellectual property issues including copyright, trademark and libel, and has worked on legislative initiatives relating to privacy, data security and shield laws. Having managed reductions in force and other terminations, she is well-versed in employment discrimination laws. She was also directly involved in negotiating employment contracts for senior executives, and has dealt with various commercial disputes and anti-trust issues. Ms. Black also has extensive personal experience in the art of negotiation and compromise. In 1991, following seven-plus years at USA Today, Ms. Black was hired to be the president of the American Newspaper Publishers Association (ANPA), the major publishing trade association representing the North American newspaper industry. As president, she merged two formerly duplicative trade associations, the ANPA and the Newspaper Advertising Bureau, into a new association, the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). Convincing newspaper owners, CEOs, and publishers to join the association required skill in negotiation, and involved compromise and accommodation. By bringing together diverse constituencies, she created a more streamlined and effective organization that was responsive to the needs of the industry and provided a platform for public policy discussion and industry lobbying efforts.

As New York City continues moving forward with the largest school capital plan in its history, Ms. Black brings extensive experience developing facilities and making capital improvements. As a longtime trustee of the University of Notre Dame, she has been involved in development and facilities issues during a period of unprecedented growth, including campuswide renovations and improvements, and new construction projects. While at Hearst, Ms. Black was an active and engaged member of the six-person Hearst team that selected the architect and oversaw the construction of the 46-story Hearst Tower that was erected near Columbus Circle, completed in 2006. The Hearst Tower, which was the first skyscraper to break ground in New York City after September 11,2001, has garnered world-wide acclaim and awards, and was New York City's first occupied Gold LEED (the standard for green building design) certified skyscraper. In a school system with 1,200 buildings and growing facilities needs, she will dedicate herself to overseeing repair and expansion efforts in order to meet the needs of our students and staff.

Long recognized as an influential business leader, Ms. Black has served with distinction on the boards of IBM and the Coca-Cola Company, and was chairman of the Magazine Publishers of America. As a Board member of IBM, Ms. Black chaired the Corporate Governance Committee, where she was involved in numerous issues of public policy on a global scale, including workforce diversity, emerging issues in growth markets, and environmental and community support. In addition, she made recommendations regarding legislative developments affecting the company.

In addition to her corporate experience, Ms. Black has experience in education. As a Trustee at the University of Notre Dame, she has been involved in educational issues impacting

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the university, and in approving curriculum changes and high level institutional appointments. She serves on the Board's University Relations and Public Affairs and Communications Committee, and is involved in public affairs, including community outreach and governmental relations. At the Harlem Village Academies Charter School, where she serves on the Advisory Council, she has been a mentor to school leadership. She also serves as a Trustee of the Kent School, a 500 student boarding school in Kent, Connecticut.

From 1983 to 1989, Ms. Black served on the Board of Trustees of Trinity College, where she played a central role in focusing the Board's thinking about change and growth during a critical period of transformation. She also chaired both a Presidential search committee and a committee on restructuring, which undertook the considerable task of developing a series of recommendations for reorganizing Trinity's business model, academic programs and delivery systems. In addition, she partnered with several other board members in examining the women's college identity of Trinity, and exploring options for change. The Board chose to sustain Trinity's focus on women's education while also expanding programs at night and on weekends to serve working adults, a model that led the way for many other adult education programs at other colleges and universities. Ms. Black also has lectured at numerous colleges and universities across the nation, including the Yale School of Management, New York University, and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, speaking on such topics as journalism careers and the advancement of women in the workplace.

In addition to her work in the field of education, Ms. Black has demonstrated dedication to the public and non-profit arena. For instance, she served on the host committee for the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world's largest gathering of service and volunteer leaders. She is also a board member of the Advertising Council and a member of Council on Foreign Relations. Earlier on, she was on the Board of United Way during a time of great turmoil. She chaired a committee focused on governance changes, and grappled with the oversight issues inherent in coordinating the efforts of a large national organization with many local chapters. Her efforts resulted in a much more transparent and accountable organization.

In recognition of her accomplishments as an innovative leader, Ms. Black served on "The New York Forum," which brought together business leaders, policy makers and Nobel prizewinning economists to develop new business models in light of changing global markets and technology. Last spring, Ms. Black traveled to Detroit with First Lady Michelle Obama as part of the White House's program to promote youth leadership and mentoring. Ms. Black is a prominent participant in The Glow Project, a philanthropic and documentary film project aimed at empowering women and helping them overcome seemingly insurmountable goals. She has worked with the Literacy Partners and the American Legacy Foundation in designing a public service campaign to encourage women to quit smoking. In 2009, the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans presented its New Orleans Citizenship Award to Ms. Black for her leadership in donating time, resources, and volunteers to help New Orleans recover and rebuild

in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. She also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. These accomplishments demonstrate Ms. Black's commitment to making community outreach, engagement, and volunteerism a vital part of the educational mission.

Ms. Black is the recipient of numerous awards, exemplifying her commitment to achieving excellence. These awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award (The Henry Johnson Fisher Award) from the Magazine Publishers of America and the American Society of

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Magazine Editors, the Freedom Forum Person of the Year Award for outstanding accomplishments as a trailblazer, innovator, entrepreneur and champion of free press and speech, and the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Award. She was named Corporate Publisher of the Year by The Delaney Report and Publishing Executive of the Year by Advertising Age, and received the Mustang Award for outstanding media leaders from the Media Industry Newsletter.

Ms. Black is the author of a best selling book, Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life), which addresses issues of aspiration, resilience, change and re-invention. She has also been included on Fortune magazine's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list every year from 1998-2009, Crain's New York Business list of" 1 00 Most Influential Women in Business," the New York Post's list of "New York's 50 Most Powerful Women," and Forbes Magazine's list of "The 1 00 Most Powerful Women."

Ms. Black holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Trinity College (now Trinity University) in Washington, D.C., and served on the Trinity Board of Trustees from 1983-1989. She also has been awarded honorary degrees from several colleges and universities, including Loyola University-New Orleans (Doctor of Humane Letters), Hamilton College (Doctor of Laws), Ithaca College (Doctor of Humane Letters), Trinity College (Doctor of Laws), Saint Mary's College-Notre Dame (Doctor of Letters), and Lehigh University (Doctor of Humane Letters).

Throughout her career and in each of her endeavors, Ms. Black has recognized the importance of diversity in education and in the workplace. As a Board member at Notre Dame, she has been engaged in a variety of initiatives designed to recruit a diverse student body. At IBM, she was involved in workforce diversity issues. At Hearst, she implemented recruitment strategies designed to promote diversity including establishing a summer internship program for college students that attracts more than 200 students each year, and developing an internal mentoring program. As Chancellor, Ms. Black will bring her strong commitment and expertise to expand opportunities in our multi-cultural school system.

Ms. Black's decision to appoint Mr. Polakow-Suransky as Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer highlights her commitment to ensuring high standards and moving our reforms forward for all of New York City'S students. Ms. Black has immersed herself in the work of the Department of Education, meeting with senior staff about the myriad issues facing New York City's schools. In creating the position of Senior Deputy Chancellor, Ms. Black has signaled that her priorities include innovation, commitment to preparing all our children for college and career readiness, accountability, promoting teacher effectiveness and serving high needs populations. Ms. Black has told me that she intends to have a Senior Deputy Chancellor/Chief Academic Officer throughout her tenure as Chancellor, because she has decided that as a management matter there should be a single Deputy, reporting directly to her as Chancellor, overseeing all pedagogic matters, including overseeing all deputy chancellors with pedagogical responsibilities. In selecting Mr. Polakow-Suransky for the position, she has selected someone whose career encompasses educational expertise, leadership and accountability, and she has demonstrated that her Chancellorship will involve a knowledge of and attention to the key challenges facing New York City schools.

Since leaving the school he founded, Mr. Polakow-Suransky has had a series of roles with increasing responsibility at the central Department of Education. In 2004, he became Vice

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President for Academic Affairs of the Department's Office of New Schools, where he oversaw and coordinated key instructional areas of the new school initiative, including new school approval and charter school authorization, intensive leadership training for new school principals, and special education and English Language Leamer supports. From 2003 to 2005, he also served as a facilitator at the New York City Leadership Academy, where he designed curriculum and trained new secondary school principals and mentored aspiring principals in the development of new school proposals and planning teams. In 2005-2006, Mr. PolakowSuransky was promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Office of New Schools, and he assumed managerial responsibility for implementation of New York City's small schools initiative.

From 2006 to 2009, Mr. Polakow-Suransky was the Chief Academic Officer for the Empowerment Schools initiative, an innovative public school management organization that was created as part of the Children First reform efforts aimed at increasing accountability and empowerment for school leaders. In that position, he played a key role in developing reforms to promote accountability and improved instruction in New York City's schools, including the implementation of progress reports and quality reviews for every school, the creation of a system for schools to design their own periodic assessments, and the design of an instructional capacitybuilding initiative for schools to build teams of administrators and teachers who are trained as experts in analyzing student performance data in order to drive school improvement. He also designed and managed the Children First Network initiative, which has since been expanded to all of the City's schools. Then, in 2009, Mr. Polakow-Suransky became the Deputy Chief Schools Officer for the Division of School Support, overseeing academic support for School Support Organizations and Networks citywide.

Chancellor Klein subsequently appointed Mr. Polakow-Suransky as the Department of Education's Chief Accountability Officer, in charge of the Division of Accountability and Achievement Resources. That Division pursues the Department's vision of advancing student achievement by empowering educators in its 1,500 schools to use diagnostic data, tools, and resources. This ongoing strategy, which is a critical component of New York City'S reforms, helps principals, teachers, and families to take responsibility for the academic outcomes of their students and grow in their capacity as school leaders, classroom educators, and family advocates.

Presently, Mr. Polakow-Suransky is the Deputy Chancellor for Performance and Accountability and a member of Chancellor Klein's Cabinet. He is in charge of New York City'S school evaluation and capacity building efforts, including implementation of the Common Core Standards, Progress Reports, Quality Reviews, Leaming Environment Surveys, Periodic and Summative Assessments, capacity building work with school-based Inquiry Teams, data tools for educators and Knowledge Sharing, Research and Policy Analytics, and the Achievement Reporting and Information System (ARIS). His work is critical to our ongoing efforts to improve student achievement.

Mr. Polakow-Suransky holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from the Bank Street College of Education and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and Urban Studies from Brown University. He possesses a New York State District Administrator Certificate, which he received in 2006, and he was a Fellow in the prestigious Broad Superintendents Academy in 2008. He grew up in Michigan, where he attended public schools.

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Cathleen Black's decision to appoint Mr. Polakow-Suransky as Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Achievement Officer is evidence of her vision to build upon the Children First reforms. Mr. Polakow-Suransky's work has been essential to those reforms and to the success we have had in improving the City's schools and outcomes for the City's children. His experience as a teacher, a principal and an administrator will continue to inform the Department's work as Ms. Black becomes Chancellor.

In light of her extraordinary skills and accomplishments, I asked Cathie Black to give up her career in the private sector to serve as Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools. During the last eight years, our school system has made unprecedented progress. Now, our school system demands an innovative leader with a proven track record of success who can immediately step in, consolidate our gains, and aggressively continue our reform efforts by effectively working together with students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community groups. I have the utmost confidence that Cathie Black is that leader. As a world-recognized business leader and trustee of one of America's greatest universities, Ms. Black has first-hand knowledge of the demands and challenges oftoday's workplace and the skills necessary for our students to succeed both in college and the job market.

Ms. Black is eager to embark on the next phase of her career by devoting all of her energy and talent to ensuring that our school system provides a top quality education for all children that meets rigorous state standards for college readiness. Her preparation and four decades of work experience, as well as her accomplishments in the business and non-profit arenas, are substantially equivalent to the certification requirements set forth in law, and make her exceptionally well-qualified for and prepared to assume the duties of Chancellor of the New York school system. I

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

~-e~

Michael R. Bloomberg

1Ms. Black is aware of the requirement for child abuse and school violence prevention training, and will complete that coursework expeditiously.

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Department of Education

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DIVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES JOB DESCRIPTION FORM

Job Title:

Organization:

Office:

Budget Accountability:

Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Chancellor

Office of the Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer

TBD

Position Summary: Under the direct supervision of the Chancellor, with the broadest scope for the exercise of independent initiative and judgment, the Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer is charged with the responsibility for the administration and supervision of the school system's instructional programs, the implementation of educational policies formulated by the Chancellor, and compliance with all legislative and judicial mandates, including those of the federal government and the New York State Education Department.

The Senior Deputy Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer formulates the development and implementation of major policies and practices in support of the Department's goals and objectives in the area of instruction. Serves as the chief advisor to the Chancellor on various policy issues relating to education reform, academic testing and evaluation, staff development, parent involvement, arts, curriculum and various other areas critical to the goals and objectives of the Department.

Reports to: Chancellor

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversees all Deputy Chancellors with pedagogical responsibilities.

• Administers the development and maintenance of educational programs designed to meet the needs of the community and to carry out the policies of the Department of Education.

• Conducts reviews of the total school program, and advises the Chancellor on recommendations for the educational advancement of the schools.

• Recommends to the Chancellor, through the use of appropriate personnel, adoption of

• Has a reasonable level of knowledge of administrators, staff, and students.

• Has a reasonable level of knowledge about community events, concerns, accomplishments, and direction.

• Facilitates the development and implementation of a collaborative educational vision, and assists the Chancellor in setting priorities for the school system.

• Serves as an educational leader of the school system. Performs job responsibilities using the Mission and Vision Statement as a guide.

• Communicates the educational vision and priorities effectively to staff, students, and community.

• Oversees and coordinates instructional components of federal and state grants.

• Ensures that policies, procedures and school rules promote a safe, respectful, and healthy school environment.

• Develops, implements, and monitors the change process to improve the educational

program.

• Is familiar with current research and educational issues.

• Involves the staff and community in plans to improve the educational program.

• Ensures that there is a comprehensive system of student assessment in place.

• Communicates effectively with staff, students and the community about educational trends, curriculum needs and instructional programs.

• Ensures that administrators and teachers communicate student progress and school curricula to parents on a regular basis.

• Oversees evaluation of school quality and fosters an environment that encourages continuous learning and improvement on the part of school staff.

• Develops and implements an effective system of staff development focused on improving the educational programs of the schools, with appropriate input from the Department of Education's administration and staff.

• Informs the Chancellor of staff development priorities, needs, and activities.

• Develops and implements an effective system of supervision and evaluation for all staff, based on Department of Education policies and with appropriate input from administration and staff.

• Oversees methods of teaching, supervision, evaluation and administration in the schools.

Qualification Requirements:

Minimum

Must currently possess a New York State Certification as a School District Administrator (SDA) or School District Leader (SDL).

Preferred

• Cross-functional knowledge of personnel management, financial management, public administration, labor relations, and other operational aspects of the organization.

• Executive level experience in managing a multi-faceted and complex service delivery

organization.

• Strategic planning and organizational development experience.

• Ability to make critical decisions that have a significant financial impact.

• Able to communicate clearly with staff, parents, students and community, both verbally and in writing.

• Demonstrates ability to involve the community in developing and implementing goals. Views the community/school relationship as a partnership. Strong commitment to leading the effort to define and deliver an effective, consistent curriculum K-12 to the children of the City of New York.

• Able to motivate, lead, guide and direct people.

• Commitment to supervise and evaluate school programs in the spirit of continuous improvement; understanding of educational practices, research, and national/state/local initiatives, including the ability to frame issues for discussion, reach timely decisions, and implement change.